No more free yards for Thigpen

[Hammock Parties]

Let's see if he can do it the way real quarterbacks do.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/04/broncos-report-penning-thigpen-is-a-priority/

The Broncos have had their struggles in the pass rush this season, but this week, they're going to have to hit a moving target as well.

Kansas City's Tyler Thigpen moves well enough in and out of the pocket that he has 251 rushing yards this season, which leads all NFL quarterbacks. It also makes him the Chiefs' third-leading rusher, and his 6.6 yards- per-carry average leads the team's regulars.

And twice in the past three games, Thigpen has topped 40 rushing yards.

"He can go," Broncos defensive coordinator Bob Slowik said Wednesday. "That's something we've focused on and are aware of. He's a real good runner."

The league's passing leaders largely have stayed in the pocket this season - offenses are on pace to set records in scoring and completion percentage - and the Broncos have faced largely stationary passers.

Atlanta's Matt Ryan, with 18 yards, is the only quarterback to have rushed for more than 7 yards against Denver. But it's Jacksonville's David Garrard, who is second in the league among quarterbacks with 231 rushing yards, who was the most mobile quarterback the Broncos have faced until Thigpen. He finished with 7 yards on eight carries in a Jacksonville win Oct. 12.

For the Broncos, it creates a difficult dynamic. Most teams, when trying to pinch a running quarterback and keep him in the middle of the field, try to keep their defensive ends from driving so hard up the field.

But the Broncos have had difficulty for much of the season in creating any consistent pressure in the pass rush without trying to also contend with a quarterback who can run.

"Our rush has always been - we don't care who the quarterback is - we just don't rush past the quarterback, and he has a free reign to take off and go," Slowik said. "It's not any different technique, we just know that this guy, when he does go, we'll damn sure have trouble getting a hold of him if we're not in the right places because he can fly."

"He definitely poses a threat," Broncos linebacker Jamie Winborn said. "He runs better than a lot of the quarterbacks we've faced."

The Broncos had two sacks against the Jets on Sunday, including one by Elvis Dumervil when he forced a fumble on New York quarterback Brett Favre, but they had no sacks in the three previous games.

End Jarvis Moss hasn't had a sack since recording two in the loss to Miami on Nov. 2, and Dumervil had a four-game stretch with no sacks after having two in the loss to New England.

And Kenny Peterson still is the only defensive tackle on the roster with more than half a sack this season.

Thigpen's ability to move also has settled him down in the passing game. After a rocky start - he had played in one game in his rookie season in 2007 before injuries forced him into the lineup this year - he has thrown for at least 235 yards in four of the past six games.

That mobility is what got the 6-foot-1, 224-pounder some attention as he approached the 2007 draft.

Thigpen ran for 667 yards as a senior at Coastal Carolina, in addition to throwing for more than 3,000 yards, and was the Big South Conference's fourth-

leading rusher that year.

"It always helps the quarterback when he can bail himself out and make a first down running the football," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "Especially on third down, when they can get out and make a play with his legs. . . . They can move the chains."

"The biggest thing is, it's just been fun," Thigpen said. "It's like you're going out there and playing backyard football."

[CoMoChief]

God, Dumervil is going to OWN McIntosh.

[Kerberos]

God, Dumervil is going to OWN SacIntosh.

Fixed your post for you.

[petegz28]

Let's see if he can do it the way real quarterbacks do.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/04/broncos-report-penning-thigpen-is-a-priority/

Yea, cause none of the other teams thought Thigy could run.....ROFL

[Micjones]

How good does it feel to have an opposing team respect some aspect of our QB's game?

[DaFace]

Another interesting article from out here. Not necessarily related, but interesting to see how they're game planning against us.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/04/broncos-put-3-4-defense-in-storage/

Usually ultrasecretive about game-planning issues, Bob Slowik on Wednesday revealed a strategic tidbit likely to surprise no one as the Broncos approach their next game.

The Broncos (7-5) likely will keep their 3-4 look in mothballs when Kansas City (2-10) visits Invesco Field at Mile High and stick with the base 4-3 look they have employed since the bye weekend.

"Yeah," Slowik, the Broncos' defensive coordinator, said with a wide smile. "I don't know how much of that you'll see."

The Chiefs, running extensively against the Broncos' three-man front Sept. 28, managed 213 yards on the ground, and all but 15 came from backfield workhorse Larry Johnson.

It was a season low point for Denver - that is, until the Broncos went to New England three weeks later and gave up 257 rushing yards, including a whopping 10 carries of 10-plus yards.

Denver then increased its padded practices and simplified the defensive scheme. And the results against the run in the past five games largely have been positive.

Still, the Broncos rank 28th against the run at 144.3 yards per game.

In the seven games through the New England loss Oct. 20, Denver yielded 154.6 yards and 5.4 yards per attempt. Since then, those totals have dropped to 129.8 and 4.2.

"I think we're just hitting better," Slowik said. "Guys are hitting their blocks - the whole defense. The defensive line is more physical because we've gone through it in pads and have been able to practice it. The tackling has been more physical. Do we miss tackles at times? Sure. But overall, it's more physical.

"I think the pad practices have made a huge difference because we're able to see," he added. "When you don't have pads on, you tag a guy or reach out and say, 'He would have had him.' He wouldn't have had him until you see it here, wrapping him up and so on and so forth."

But the biggest bugaboo continues to be big plays, even in recent weeks. There have been seven runs of 20-plus yards in the five games since the bye, compared with nine in the previous seven games. That includes touchdown runs of 59 and 29 yards by the Jets' Thomas Jones on Sunday.

In fact, Denver's problems against the rush almost singularly can be traced to allowing breakout runs. While 306 of the carries against Denver this season have netted 757 yards, a 2.5-yards-per-carry average, the other 47 attempts have gone for at least 10 yards.

That means a whopping 974 yards and seven touchdowns emanate from just those 47 plays. Broken down further, that's 56.3 percent of the total rushing yards against Denver this season on only 13.4 percent of the rushing attempts.

"When we're playing good, solid run defense - against Jacksonville, Miami, the Jets - 95 percent of the runs we're playing really well and hitting and forming up, and one breaks and, bam, it's 50 yards. We have to eliminate that, and then we're where we want to be," Slowik said.

"But until that's corrected, it's hard. That's points on the board. As opposed to having 60 percent efficiency and productivity against the run, we're now maybe 95. But those last five, though, we can't let score."

All those long runs have translated into an overall 4.9 per-carry average, which would be a franchise worst, higher than the 4.7 figure Denver put up in 1967.

The longest gain by a Broncos opponent this season belongs to Johnson, who sprinted 65 yards on the second play of the first Denver-Kansas City meeting. And Johnson's 198 yards that day still represent the best performance in the AFC this season.

Johnson has made a habit of burning Denver's defense. In eight appearances, and only four starts, he has five 100-yard games against the Broncos.

Dating to 2006, Denver is 4-14 when allowing a running back to reach triple figures, including losses in nine of the past 10 games.

But that single victory came Sunday against the Jets, who got 138 yards and, yes, two long touchdowns from Jones but lost 34-17.

"They've really made it difficult to run the ball," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said in assessing the differences between Denver's defense now and the one he saw more than two months ago. "Schematically, they're playing their gaps well and the linebackers are filling them."

Kansas City ran Johnson 24 times for 92 yards in Sunday's victory at Oakland.

Of late, the Chiefs have employed a modified approach by spreading the field, mostly out of base personnel. The goal is to bring defenders outside the area around the line of scrimmage and, in effect, give Johnson more room to roam on his initial move.

But the Broncos present a different look, too. Only four starters in the first Kansas City game were in the starting lineup Sunday.

Their attitude to stop the run is more readily apparent. And they've ditched that 3-4.

"Players, we're creatures of habit, and when you've been doing something so long, going back to OTAs (organized team activities), minicamp, training camp - the 4-3 is all we knew," defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. "And I just think we're more comfortable adapting with that 4-3 scheme rather than going to a whole new front."

[Mr. Laz]

How good does it feel to have an opposing team respect some aspect of our QB's game?

exactly

[suds79]

How good does it feel to have an opposing team respect some aspect of our QB's game?

Yeah I hear ya there.

While you'd like for your QB's best strength to be how he can pass the ball, Tyler's ability to run certainly adds a different dimension.

I just hope the coaching staff lets Tyler be who he is. Nothing worse than a mobile QB either being forced or trying to pretend to be a pure pocket passer. Just use the gifts you have.

[jiveturkey]

I would love to see some successful bootlegging coming from us.

I didn't realize that he leads the league in rushing (qbs).

[teedubya]

I would love to see some successful bootlegging coming from us.

I didn't realize that he leads the league in rushing (qbs).

Wouldn't that be ironic! heh.

[Reerun_KC]

Yeah I hear ya there.

While you'd like for your QB's best strength to be how he can pass the ball, Tyler's ability to run certainly adds a different dimension.

I just hope the coaching staff lets Tyler be who he is. Nothing worse than a mobile QB either being forced or trying to pretend to be a pure pocket passer. Just use the gifts you have.

reminds me of the Trent Green era... He was feared in that offense...

[Sure-Oz]

I think it's funny that the broncos D is planning to contain him, they haven't contained anyone that runs the ball at all this year even if it is a QB

[FringeNC]

Sucks that Denver gets an extra guy on the field to spy on Thigpen.

[Lonewolf Ed]

I don't know how long you've been actively following the Chiefs, Claythan, but for YEARS we've longed for a mobile QB. Now we have one and I, for one, I am happy with many things Thiggy does. I don't know if he will be the starter next season or the season after, but I am confident that he can at least be a very good second QB. Maybe if KC can find and draft a QB out of college who runs like Randall Cunningham, throws like John Elway, and is as resilient as Brett Farve, then you can be happy, too.

[Alphaman]

I would love to see some successful bootlegging coming from us.

I didn't realize that he leads the league in rushing (qbs).

I'd like to see us start out with a heavy dose of play action passing to Gonzo and D-Bowe, then go to pounding them with LJ and break T-Squared out on some boots.

[OnTheWarpath15]

I love the implication of the title - that no one has bothered to try to stop Thigpen, and that he's basically being given these rushing yards...

:rolleyes:

[DaFace]

I love the implication of the title - that no one has bothered to try to stop Thigpen, and that he's basically being given these rushing yards...

:rolleyes:

You may already have noticed, but do note that it's GoChiefs' title, not the RMN. The official title was "Penning Thigpen is a priority".

[Basileus777]

I have complete confidence in Denver's ability to stop someone from running the ball, wait......

[OnTheWarpath15]

You may already have noticed, but do note that it's GoChiefs' title, not the RMN. The official title was "Penning Thigpen is a priority".

Oh, trust me.

I know the thread title was Clayton's work. Pretty obvious, actually.

[Quesadilla Joe]

It seems like Thigpen only throws to Bowe and Gonzo. Bowe killed us last time because he never was thrown to when Champ was on him. Denver needs to have Champ follow Bowe all over the field and double Gonzo and the Chiefs will be shut down in that "spread" offense they run.

[kcchiefsus]

It seems like Thigpen only throws to Bowe and Gonzo. Bowe killed us last time because he never was thrown to when Champ was on him. Denver needs to have Champ follow Bowe all over the field and double Gonzo and the Chiefs will be shut down in that "spread" offense they run.

Mark Bradley has 24 receptions for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns on the year, I believe all of which are with Thigpen at QB. Bradley didn't get a catch against Oakland but he has been up close with Bowe for yards almost every game.

You think doubling Gonzalez will stop him? You must have missed the last 10 or so years of Gonzalez' career because he is doubled every single game. He is still rarely stopped. Nice try. Put a still injured Champ on Bowe and he will be burnt. Try to double Gonzalez and he will burn your shitty safeties. And if healthy Bradley can make Dre Bly look like a fool. And then of course there is LJ and Charles to run all over your front 7.

[Mile High Mania]

It's going to be an interesting game... they always are and records typically don't matter. Denver has struggled at home for some reason and they're riding a high after the win @ NY.

The Broncos' defense concerns me very much, so Cutler and company need to shoot for 40 points and it would be nice if Champ were healthy.

[DaFace]

It's going to be an interesting game... they always are and records typically don't matter. Denver has struggled at home for some reason and they're riding a high after the win @ NY.

The Broncos' defense concerns me very much, so Cutler and company need to shoot for 40 points and it would be nice if Champ were healthy.

I pretty much agree. I've watched every Broncos game this year due to my wife's misguided allegiance to the team, and it's stupefying how well they play against the good teams and how badly they play against the bad teams. I don't expect the Chiefs to win, but then I didn't expect them to have a prayer the first time around either.

[jjchieffan]

KC 34 Dungver 23. Thiggy throws a TD to Bowe, and rushes for 2. LJ runs for 135 and a TD. In the fourth quarter, KC ices the game when Tamba Hali gets his second sack of the season by beating Ryan Clady and strips Cuntler at the forty. Dorsey picks up the fumble and rumbles down the field, but gets caught at the 10 by Marshall who rides him to the one where Hillis helps drag him down. On their first play, Thigpen walks in untouched on a bootleg run for his 3rd TD of the day.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Mark Bradley has 24 receptions for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns on the year, I believe all of which are with Thigpen at QB. Bradley didn't get a catch against Oakland but he has been up close with Bowe for yards almost every game.

You think doubling Gonzalez will stop him? You must have missed the last 10 or so years of Gonzalez' career because he is doubled every single game. He is still rarely stopped. Nice try. Put a still injured Champ on Bowe and he will be burnt. Try to double Gonzalez and he will burn your shitty safeties. And if healthy Bradley can make Dre Bly look like a fool. And then of course there is LJ and Charles to run all over your front 7.

Champ wouldn't play unless he was 100 percent healthy. Our backups have played surprisingly well and Dre Bly is playing better now than I have ever seen him play since he has been here.

Tony might get 5 or 6 catches for 70 yards but that is it. And if Bowe is being covered by Champ he will be lucky to have 2 catches. Denver will destroy you guys this game for two reasons.

1. They have a bad taste in their mouth.

2. I don't think the Chiefs can win two games in a row.

[kcchiefsus]

Champ wouldn't play unless he was 100 percent healthy. Our backups have played surprisingly well and Dre Bly is playing better now than I have ever seen him play since he has been here.

Tony might get 5 or 6 catches for 70 yards but that is it. And if Bowe is being covered by Champ he will be lucky to have 2 catches. Denver will destroy you guys this game for two reasons.

1. They have a bad taste in their mouth.

2. I don't think the Chiefs can win two games in a row.

Again, your safeties are horrible. What makes you think you can make a realistic prediction of being able to hold Gonzalez to 5-6 catches for 70 yards? Hell, the Raiders put Asomugha on Gonzalez and they still couldn't stop him.

As far as Bowe goes, in 3 career games against Denver he has a total of 18 catches for 225 yards. Not eye popping but he certainly gets his against Denver. And if Bowe is being covered by a less than 100% Bailey then I like our chances.

[MagicHef]

I pretty much agree. I've watched every Broncos game this year due to my wife's misguided allegiance to the team, and it's stupefying how well they play against the good teams and how badly they play against the bad teams. I don't expect the Chiefs to win, but then I didn't expect them to have a prayer the first time around either.

I just wanted to let you know that your wife is awesome.

[jjchieffan]

I just wanted to let you know that your wife is awesome.

I beg to differ. Kind of sloppy if you ask me, but she does give good head.ROFL

[Coach]

Would be nice to give them their own medicine of bootlegging.

[MIAdragon]

Would be nice to give them their own medicine of bootlegging.

ALL DAY LONG!!

[CHIEF4EVER]

Would be nice to give them their own medicine of illegal blocking.

FYP

[Quesadilla Joe]

“When guys are covered, (Thigpen) doesn’t go to third or fourth options,” Bly said. “He looks to tuck that thing and run it. Knowing the situation . . . I knew the ball had to come out quick. If it didn’t, he was going to tuck it and run, and I just read him the whole time.” Dre Bly

[KCUnited]

“When guys are covered, (Thigpen) doesn’t go to third or fourth options,” Bly said. “He looks to tuck that thing and run it. Knowing the situation . . . I knew the ball had to come out quick. If it didn’t, he was going to tuck it and run, and I just read him the whole time.” Dre Bly

Welcome to 4 weeks ago Nastradumbass. Shhh, don't tell Oakland.